The Marketplace Minister and the Pulpit Minister Partnership

“When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. The LORD’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God.”- (2 Samuel 6:6-8).

David was the ultimate marketplace leader. He began his life as a shepherd. He later became a warrior, then king. He never lost a battle. He amassed wealth and was responsible for building the greatest physical testimony to the living God on earth when he established the plan for his son Solomon to build the temple of God in Jerusalem.

David wanted to honor the Lord by bringing the tabernacle home from Balah of Judah. He prepared for this glorious day and worshiped God during the entire trip. However, David moved the tabernacle using a cart being drawn by oxen. During the journey, a crisis took place. The cart tilted and one of his favorite men grabbed for the cart in an effort to sturdy it. He was immediately struck dead by God. Yes, by God!

David was devastated. He thought he was doing a good thing. He became so angry with God that he delayed the transfer of the ark for three months. From this point forward, David’s belief about God radically changed.

The problem was that David had passion without knowledge. The Ark could only be carried with poles by the priests. Had David consulted the priests about his desire to bring God’s presence into the city, he would have been informed of the requirements for moving the ark. The lesson here is that David moved out of presumption. His presumption cost him dearly.

Today, the role of priest is to equip the saints for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:11). It does not mean that saints don’t have a responsibility to seek God on their own. However, God desires a partnership between the workplace minister and the pulpit minister. We are a team that needs one another to accomplish the task of bringing God’s presence into the city.